Our farmers deserve meaningful support and far too often complain that the very private sector to which they belong is letting them down.
The call from Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS) Chief Executive Officer James Paul for stronger collaboration between local producers and private sector buyers is a reminder that the future of our local food system is at stake.
On a positive note, the BAS boss has reported some promising signs in the dairy sector where renewed life has been triggered through imported cattle and the increasing number of farmers expressing interest in crop production.
These are welcome developments. But they exist alongside a perennial, troubling situation despite growing output as some farmers complain they are failing to connect to markets.
Paul spelled it out plainly at the BAS annual general meeting over the weekend. “Too much of the supply chains for agricultural commodities in Barbados are not linked to agricultural produce.” The problem is not simply what farmers grow, it is who is prepared to buy it and how it gets to market.
Importantly, Paul emphasised that the responsibility cannot rest solely with government agencies such as the Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (BADMC). The private sector, including retailers, hotels, restaurants, and wholesalers, must recognise the role they all play in securing a reliable market for domestic agricultural products. Without that recognition, agriculture will remain on the periphery of economic activity on the island.
Why does this matter? Choosing cheaper imports may provide short-term benefits, especially in the current high-priced environment, but in the long-term this creates significant risks. When buyers consistently reach for imported products and bypass homegrown ones, domestic production weakens over time and may even lead to farming’s demise.
We must not be complacent. The cost of neglecting our farmers would be a terrible mistake. When the world supply chains are strained — as they were during the COVID-19 pandemic — countries that were heavy importers of foreign food felt the impact first. Barbados cannot afford to be among them when the next global crisis occurs.
The private sector has a choice. They can continue to treat Barbadian agriculture as optional, like a nice add-on when convenient, or they can treat it as core to their business.
Take, for example, the tourism industry, which claims to offer “authentic Barbadian experiences”. Such a claim would ring truer if hotels and restaurants sourced their milk, vegetables, fruits, roots and tubers from homegrown sources.
The BAS announcement of success in its dairy initiative that involved importing high-quality cattle shows what can happen when the production side receives attention. But that work remains incomplete without addressing distribution and reliable buyers.
Paul has warned also that a lack of a suitably equipped veterinary laboratory for livestock farmers, and pests, represented a significant threat to various foods including popular root crops.
From a national economic standpoint, the argument for buying Bajan is compelling. Every dollar spent on home-grown produce will circulate in the national economy paying wages and supporting agriculture-related services. By contrast, money spent on imported goods drains the island’s foreign exchange and weakens local economic activity.
Government can and should play its part by encouraging domestic sourcing and providing incentives and strengthening services to farmers. But incentives alone will not fix everything. The private sector must act with urgency. Farmers cannot wait while strategies are drawn and committees convened.
Government should encourage domestic sourcing, offer incentives, and improve farmer services. As the BAS head pointed out: “The only way we can solve the problem is when local retailers, hotels, restaurants and other buyers recognise that they have as much a responsibility as government in ensuring there is a market for local agricultural produce.”
Paul’s appeal should be heard across boardrooms, supermarket groups, and hotels. Supporting Barbadian agriculture is not about sentiment or nostalgia. It is about being forward-looking. It is about recognising that cheap imported food might look appealing today, but tomorrow the costs could be far higher.
We have the land, the climatic conditions, and the farmers who are willing and able to increase food and meat production. What is lacking is greater private sector support. If the private sector steps up, we will not only feed ourselves more of our own food but build a stronger economy.
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